The Day Our Hearts Stopped
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We've waited a couple of weeks to share this post with you. Before you even start to read, we first want you to know that we're all ok. A routine visit to the vet recently turned our world upside down. And it's taken us some time to figure out the best way to tell our story.
Please know that Waffles is ok, Katie is ok, and Glogirly & Gloman are ok. ❤️
KATIE: I'm glad I'm ok too, Waffles. And I'm sorry you were scared.
KATIE: I'm glad I came back too.
WAFFLES: So what did you see, Boss? Was there a rainbow bridge with bright movie lights and funky music? Was there popcorn and catnip?
KATIE: It all happened so fast, Waffles. I don't really know for sure. I remember seeing Dr. Fern and all the vet techs. I saw Glogirly and Gloman. I saw their smiles. And I saw you too.
WAFFLES: Really? You saw ME, Boss?
KATIE: Yes, Waffles. But don't get all mushy on me.
WAFFLES: Mushy like mashed potatoes and gravy mushy?
KATIE: You know what I mean, Waffles.
WAFFLES: I know, Boss. You have that reputation thing. But I really do love–
KATIE: I know, Waffles. Me too.
And then our hearts stopped
It was really just an ordinary day. It started with a Jeep ride to the vet for Waffles and Katie's annual exams and blood work. There was the usual car ride drama. Waffles sang the song of his people and Katie provided backup vocals. Both Waffles and Katie have been doing so great in terms of health. We had no concerns going into the exams.
Waffles went first. He had a few hisses for the techs in the beginning, but he warms up quickly and even turns on his charm.
Katie went next. Vet visits have always been very hard for her. She's not a fan of being in strange places and doesn't like being around people, other than Glogirly and Gloman. She doesn't like being touched or held by anyone other than them as well. In order to make her blood work and exam less stressful, her vet has been giving her a fast-acting, mild sedative for as many visits as we can remember. They take her back to their lab area in her Sleepypod so she has her "safe place" and are very gentle with her.
On this particular day though, something went terribly wrong.
After they'd completed the exam and blood work, and while Katie was still sedated, Glogirly sensed something wasn't right. She had her head pressed against a small narrow window in the door at the back of the exam room she and Waffles were waiting in. She could see the lab area where Katie, the doctor, and the vet tech was. Suddenly Katie was surrounded by five or six vet techs. Glogirly could sense the urgency and tension, but didn't know what was happening. She could hear Dr. Fern calling out Katie's name.
Through a narrow window in the door to the back of the exam room she and Waffles were waiting in, she could see a team of techs surrounding Katie. She could sense the tension. She could hear Dr. Fern calling out Katie's name.
Though it seemed like an eternity, it was just seconds later that Dr. Fern came to the door she could see Glogirly was glued to. Glogirly could barely breathe. The first words gutted her. "Katie went into cardiac arrest." The nanosecond in-between those words and what came next seemed even longer. "She's alive."
Katie's heart and breathing had stopped, but within 30 seconds Dr. Fern had been able to bring her back. It didn't require full-on CPR. Just some very fast thinking and fast action. Dr. Fern immediately massaged Katie's chest area and was able to get a heart rhythm. A few seconds after that Katie began breathing on her own.
Had it not been for our Vet's extensive training and experience in emergency veterinary medicine, things may have gone very differently.
So what happened?
Moments later, an x-ray revealed what appeared to be a severely enlarged heart and fluid in the lungs. the fluid was a result of the arrest and Katie was give a medication that quickly extracted fluids from the lungs and into her kidneys. The heart required an electrocardiogram (ECG) to determine what was going on.
Little did we know, one of the top veterinary cardiologists and a colleague of Dr. Fern, was just a few blocks away. Once Katie was stable, Glogirly had her and Waffles back in the Jeep and they were at the emergency clinic in less than 5 minutes.
Waffles and Glogirly waited in another room while the cardiologist did an ECG of Katie's heart. About 30 minutes (another eternity) passed and the cardiologist came into the room. Her first words were, "Katie's fine." Immediately Glogirly felt like she was getting her breath back. "In fact, Katie's more than fine. Her heart is healthy and normal."
She went on to explain that Katie's heart is surrounded by fat. Apparently, this is quite common in some cats. It can be very misleading in x-rays and look as though the heart is significantly enlarged. The ECG though, gives them much more information and can help determine the health of the heart.
Glogirly responded, "So this is good news, right?"
"Yes. This is GREAT news. The BEST news."
So back to the cardiac arrest. Its cause is something of a mystery. The cardiologist gave it a long and complicated name, but essentially it translates to a fluke. It's possible Katie had a reaction to the sedation. It's possible Katie's stress level was a contributing factor. We'll likely never know. To be safe, Dr. Fern has put together a great list of alternatives to make Katie's future vet visits as calm as possible, without using the same sedation medication we've been using.
One thing is for certain. Our Katie Girl, for as beautiful, ladylike and soft-spoken as she is, is one tough kitty. And we couldn't be happier that she is still a part of our world. In fact, she's not just tough– According to her senior blood work, she's as healthy as can be. Every single lab result is purrfection. And that's saying a lot for our 14-year-old girl who has had more than her share of health problems in the past.
Pause
We'll never know what went through Katie's mind during those 30 seconds. Just like we don't know what happens when we leave this life we know so well. We'd like to think that it's calm, peaceful and that we are somehow reunited with those that we've loved. This has certainly given us pause and has served as a reminder to love every moment we have. It's reminded us to take time to smell the trees, listen to the birds, and show those we care about how very much we love them.
Two Very Heartfelt Thank Yous
We want to thank our veterinarian, Dr. Fern Slack of Uniquely Cats Veterinary Center and Hospital, for having the strength, knowledge, and experience to do what needed to be done and do it FAST.
Fern was in touch with us that evening and through the next day, making sure we were all doing ok. We're like family and this shook her to the core. Glogirly wasn't the only one who shed many tears.
Thank you also to Dr. Karen Sanderson, of Alpenglow Veterinary Specialty and Emergency Center. Within minutes of Katie's arrest, Dr. Sanderson had Katie in her care and was able to give Glogirly the best news ever.
It was really just an ordinary day. It started with a Jeep ride to the vet for Waffles and Katie's annual exams and blood work. There was the usual car ride drama. Waffles sang the song of his people and Katie provided backup vocals. Both Waffles and Katie have been doing so great in terms of health. We had no concerns going into the exams.
Waffles went first. He had a few hisses for the techs in the beginning, but he warms up quickly and even turns on his charm.
Katie went next. Vet visits have always been very hard for her. She's not a fan of being in strange places and doesn't like being around people, other than Glogirly and Gloman. She doesn't like being touched or held by anyone other than them as well. In order to make her blood work and exam less stressful, her vet has been giving her a fast-acting, mild sedative for as many visits as we can remember. They take her back to their lab area in her Sleepypod so she has her "safe place" and are very gentle with her.
On this particular day though, something went terribly wrong.
After they'd completed the exam and blood work, and while Katie was still sedated, Glogirly sensed something wasn't right. She had her head pressed against a small narrow window in the door at the back of the exam room she and Waffles were waiting in. She could see the lab area where Katie, the doctor, and the vet tech was. Suddenly Katie was surrounded by five or six vet techs. Glogirly could sense the urgency and tension, but didn't know what was happening. She could hear Dr. Fern calling out Katie's name.
Through a narrow window in the door to the back of the exam room she and Waffles were waiting in, she could see a team of techs surrounding Katie. She could sense the tension. She could hear Dr. Fern calling out Katie's name.
Though it seemed like an eternity, it was just seconds later that Dr. Fern came to the door she could see Glogirly was glued to. Glogirly could barely breathe. The first words gutted her. "Katie went into cardiac arrest." The nanosecond in-between those words and what came next seemed even longer. "She's alive."
Katie's heart and breathing had stopped, but within 30 seconds Dr. Fern had been able to bring her back. It didn't require full-on CPR. Just some very fast thinking and fast action. Dr. Fern immediately massaged Katie's chest area and was able to get a heart rhythm. A few seconds after that Katie began breathing on her own.
Had it not been for our Vet's extensive training and experience in emergency veterinary medicine, things may have gone very differently.
So what happened?
Moments later, an x-ray revealed what appeared to be a severely enlarged heart and fluid in the lungs. the fluid was a result of the arrest and Katie was give a medication that quickly extracted fluids from the lungs and into her kidneys. The heart required an electrocardiogram (ECG) to determine what was going on.
Little did we know, one of the top veterinary cardiologists and a colleague of Dr. Fern, was just a few blocks away. Once Katie was stable, Glogirly had her and Waffles back in the Jeep and they were at the emergency clinic in less than 5 minutes.
Waffles and Glogirly waited in another room while the cardiologist did an ECG of Katie's heart. About 30 minutes (another eternity) passed and the cardiologist came into the room. Her first words were, "Katie's fine." Immediately Glogirly felt like she was getting her breath back. "In fact, Katie's more than fine. Her heart is healthy and normal."
She went on to explain that Katie's heart is surrounded by fat. Apparently, this is quite common in some cats. It can be very misleading in x-rays and look as though the heart is significantly enlarged. The ECG though, gives them much more information and can help determine the health of the heart.
Glogirly responded, "So this is good news, right?"
"Yes. This is GREAT news. The BEST news."
So back to the cardiac arrest. Its cause is something of a mystery. The cardiologist gave it a long and complicated name, but essentially it translates to a fluke. It's possible Katie had a reaction to the sedation. It's possible Katie's stress level was a contributing factor. We'll likely never know. To be safe, Dr. Fern has put together a great list of alternatives to make Katie's future vet visits as calm as possible, without using the same sedation medication we've been using.
One thing is for certain. Our Katie Girl, for as beautiful, ladylike and soft-spoken as she is, is one tough kitty. And we couldn't be happier that she is still a part of our world. In fact, she's not just tough– According to her senior blood work, she's as healthy as can be. Every single lab result is purrfection. And that's saying a lot for our 14-year-old girl who has had more than her share of health problems in the past.
Pause
We'll never know what went through Katie's mind during those 30 seconds. Just like we don't know what happens when we leave this life we know so well. We'd like to think that it's calm, peaceful and that we are somehow reunited with those that we've loved. This has certainly given us pause and has served as a reminder to love every moment we have. It's reminded us to take time to smell the trees, listen to the birds, and show those we care about how very much we love them.
Two Very Heartfelt Thank Yous
We want to thank our veterinarian, Dr. Fern Slack of Uniquely Cats Veterinary Center and Hospital, for having the strength, knowledge, and experience to do what needed to be done and do it FAST.
Thank you also to Dr. Karen Sanderson, of Alpenglow Veterinary Specialty and Emergency Center. Within minutes of Katie's arrest, Dr. Sanderson had Katie in her care and was able to give Glogirly the best news ever.
Don't go anywhere, Katie.
We plan on loving you for many years to come.
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